Papal news stuns Mexican faithful

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But then, in Latin, Pope Benedict XVI said he would resign at the end of the month "because of advanced age." The news would surprise the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics, but someone had to inform them first.

Chirri has "polished" Latin skills, her employer said, but it took confidence to trust that she heard what she thought she heard.

The pope's Latin is "very easy to understand," Chirri said, but it wasn't until the announcement was repeated that the reporter filed an urgent bulletin for ANSA, which was subsequently picked up by the rest of the world.

A devout Catholic, Chirri told ANSA she tries to keep her faith separate from her work covering the Vatican, but Monday's announcement made her cry because she was upset.

While Catholic services today are celebrated in local languages, Latin remains the official language of the Roman Catholic church. For this reason, all official acts of the church are announced in Latin, as was the case Monday.